1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an electric cartridge heater and a method of operation, suitable for use in producing high purity silicon in solar cells or solar modules.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Conventional heater designs suffer from cost issues and failure modes related to a very complex design and assembly of many small parts. A known heater design for use in silicon casting furnaces has a single large serpentine heater that is machined out of a large block. The complex machining is costly to fabricate and great care is used while handling the resulting shape to avoid breakage. Another known heater design for use in silicon casting furnaces has many or even hundreds of bolted connections. The bolted connections are expensive and time consuming to assemble while providing multiple possible failure points.